The Cup of Blessing
Looking at the Background to Holy Communion in St. John's Gospel
Published on 13. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
106 pages
979-8-3852-7634-9 (ISBN)
Description
In this book, Toddy Hoare looks at the symbolism in St. John’s Gospel of the bread and wine as the background to Holy Communion, focusing on the cup, which in the Old Testament is a cup of wrath and judgment but which in the New Testament becomes a cup of blessing and salvation. The writer’s deceit is to link the cup and the contents of wine to the cup the groom drinks and breaks at a Jewish wedding, taking the idea from Christ describing himself as the groom and us, the church, as his bride.
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2026
Wipf and Stock Publishers
€17.49
Available for download
Person
Toddy Hoare is a retired rural parish priest from North Yorkshire who originally trained as a sculptor and served as a soldier but continued to use sculpture throughout his ministry to illustrate Scripture and reflect on theology. Having helped in over fifty churches during interregnums in Oxford and recently back in Yorkshire, he writes to address the thirst he notices for people to know their Bible better. He is also the author of Cameos of Faith; Psalmody; The Christ Cycle in Verse and 3D.